I worked at jcp for 3 years and quit not long after Johnson took over. They were cutting hours so bad because the sales were plummeting, so I had to move on. He really did have good ideas about being “fair and square,” with honest pricing and better quality clothing. The stores also looked 100 times better and fresher. The only explanation I could come up with on why the store was doing so poorly is that its cred with old people went waay down. And believe me, that was a significant portion of JC Penney’s demo. It’s really too bad Johnson’s ideas didn’t catch on. I think if people opened up their minds a little more they would have been great.

I think it’s interesting that others are reading this as some sort of opinion or political-type statement piece. It seems like the author is just trying to tell his story. No?Iappreciated the “raw”-ness of this writing. It felt honest and vulnerable. More like something he would write inajournal. We’ve all been inaplace where choosing between something pleasurable and something sensible faces us. And we all have chosen pleasure on at least one of those occasions, Even if that choice isn’t one about which you’re necessarily proud, it’s important (not to mention courageous) to admit it AT LEAST to yourself. Bringing it to the internet to be viewed and criticized by all it’s especially balls-y. Cheers and respect to the author.

thatwasawesome is a BuzzFeed user and their posts have not been vetted or endorsed by BuzzFeed's editorial staff. BuzzFeed Community is a place where anyone can post awesome lists and creations. Learn more or post your buzz!